About $1.8 million in cuts will be made by mid-March, an El Centro Elementary School District official said.
“We are getting about half the revenue that we got five years ago,” said board president George McFaddin, “and we’ve had to make cuts almost every year. … There isn’t anything else to cut.”
Most funding comes from the state, said McFaddin, whose comments come as the district discusses its budget prior to the March 15 state deadline that dictates all school districts have to submit a balanced budget.
Meanwhile, the state owes the ECESD roughly $10 million, which has been held until next year, McFaddin said. “They do that to all the school districts.”
Deep cuts are nothing new for the district, which last May laid off 31 teachers under similar circumstances.
The school board is already exploring what cuts to make and has had various budget updates in the past few months.
The latest budget update took place Tuesday evening, and though the main presenter was absent, the board did hear from Michele McClowry, a consultant who’s worked for numerous districts across the state.
In her presentation, McClowry gave a list of the types of cuts other districts have been making in the past.
“A lot of districts are cutting programs in electives,” she said. These would be courses or programs not attached to the basic curriculum.
“They’ve cut things such as music and athletics,” she said, “all the fun things the kids come to school for.”
Other cuts listed by McClowry were a reduction of employees’ hours, capped benefits, freeze merit increases and share services and even principals between schools.
But McClowry’s suggestions were “a lot of the things that we’ve already looked at and are looking at,” said McFaddin.
“We’ve quit buying paper,” he said, “(and) we can’t afford to buy equipment. We can’t afford to paint our buildings.”
On top of that, “we’ve cut programs and cut programs and now we get down to people,” he said.
Ninety-one percent of the school district’s expenses are employee salaries and benefits.
“We don’t know how many or who yet. But that’s what we are going to have to do,” McFaddin said referring to staff cuts.
The district is also looking into energy programs that could result in about $100,000 to $150,000 in savings, said Superintendent Robert Pletka.
But still, most of the revenue needed to reach a balanced budget will have to be generated through staff cuts, he said.
The only thing that could improve the situation, according to Pletka, is Gov. Brown’s November ballot measure, which would raise taxes temporarily and give part of the extra revenue to schools.
And yet, even if the proposition is approved by the voters, he said, by the time that potential revenue comes in, the cuts will already be in place.
That may be better than nothing, because as Pletka said, perhaps with that revenue no more cuts will be made and “we might be able to bring back some of the services and programs.”
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
“We are getting about half the revenue that we got five years ago,” said board president George McFaddin, “and we’ve had to make cuts almost every year. … There isn’t anything else to cut.”
Most funding comes from the state, said McFaddin, whose comments come as the district discusses its budget prior to the March 15 state deadline that dictates all school districts have to submit a balanced budget.
Meanwhile, the state owes the ECESD roughly $10 million, which has been held until next year, McFaddin said. “They do that to all the school districts.”
Deep cuts are nothing new for the district, which last May laid off 31 teachers under similar circumstances.
The school board is already exploring what cuts to make and has had various budget updates in the past few months.
The latest budget update took place Tuesday evening, and though the main presenter was absent, the board did hear from Michele McClowry, a consultant who’s worked for numerous districts across the state.
In her presentation, McClowry gave a list of the types of cuts other districts have been making in the past.
“A lot of districts are cutting programs in electives,” she said. These would be courses or programs not attached to the basic curriculum.
“They’ve cut things such as music and athletics,” she said, “all the fun things the kids come to school for.”
Other cuts listed by McClowry were a reduction of employees’ hours, capped benefits, freeze merit increases and share services and even principals between schools.
But McClowry’s suggestions were “a lot of the things that we’ve already looked at and are looking at,” said McFaddin.
“We’ve quit buying paper,” he said, “(and) we can’t afford to buy equipment. We can’t afford to paint our buildings.”
On top of that, “we’ve cut programs and cut programs and now we get down to people,” he said.
Ninety-one percent of the school district’s expenses are employee salaries and benefits.
“We don’t know how many or who yet. But that’s what we are going to have to do,” McFaddin said referring to staff cuts.
The district is also looking into energy programs that could result in about $100,000 to $150,000 in savings, said Superintendent Robert Pletka.
But still, most of the revenue needed to reach a balanced budget will have to be generated through staff cuts, he said.
The only thing that could improve the situation, according to Pletka, is Gov. Brown’s November ballot measure, which would raise taxes temporarily and give part of the extra revenue to schools.
And yet, even if the proposition is approved by the voters, he said, by the time that potential revenue comes in, the cuts will already be in place.
That may be better than nothing, because as Pletka said, perhaps with that revenue no more cuts will be made and “we might be able to bring back some of the services and programs.”
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
